Carlos Alcaraz’s adventure in Shanghai is over. The Murcian bid farewell to the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season after losing this Friday to Czech Tomas Macchac 7-6(5), 7-5.
On a strange day marked by the announcement of Rafa Nadal’s retirement, The Murcian fell against an opponent who complicated his life just a month ago in the group stage of the Davis Cup.
Erratic and lacking spark, Alcaraz failed to impose his tennis in almost no time.. Despite everything, in the first set he was close to the break on several occasions, but his lack of success on key points led the set to a tiebreak, where the Czech was more solid and managed to tip balance in his favor. thanks to his powerful blows from below.
In the second set, the beginning was not good.. A break in the third game made life difficult for the world number 2 who, however, was able to react.
Three games in a row allowed him to go 4-3 up, also taking advantage of the most erratic moments of his rival, who did not drop and knew how to hold his own until the set was balanced again.
It looked like the second set would end up being decided on a tiebreakbut a series of mistakes by Alcaraz caused him to lose serve in the eleventh game.
It remained to be seen whether Macac’s pulse would tremble at the climax, but that was not the case. The Czech closed in style with a blank game that allowed him to seal his place in the semifinals, where he will face Jannik Sinner, who destroyed Russian Daniil Medvedev (6-1, 6-4), who was physically that was affected.
In any case, Alcaraz has already improved his records in Shanghai: With the tournament suspended for 3 years as a result of the Chinese Government’s ‘zero covid’ policy, the 2023 tournament was his first participation, and he lost in the round of 16 against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
Before this round, the El Palmar talent won against two local players – first, Shang Juncheng (6-2, 6-2), and then, Wu Yibing (7-6 (5), 6-3) – and , in the round of 16, against French veteran Gaël Monfils (6-4, 7-5).
Before facing the Spaniard, Macac eliminated the 13th best player on the circuit, American Tommy Paul, with a comeback (3-6, 6-4, 6-3). His other victims were the Spanish Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4) and the Australian Aleksandar Vukic (6-4, 6-2).
This Friday we will meet the heroes of the second semi-final. On the one hand, Taylor Fritz will face David Goffin, the executioner of Alexander Zverev, while Novak Djokovic will seek to return to the semifinals of a Masters 1000 by defeating the only Czech player left in the tournament, the young Jakub Mensik .
Source: La Verdad
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